Utlapa was one of the spirit warriors who accompanied the elder chief Taha Aki, then betrayed him by possessing his body and taking over the tribe.

Biography

Utlapa was once one of the great spirit warriors who accompanied the Quileute Chief Taha Aki. He believed that Taha Aki was not doing enough for the tribe and dreamed of having Taha Aki's place in the tribe and of using the spirit warriors to conquer and take over neighboring tribes.

One day, when out in their spirit selves, Utlapa's thoughts get out of control allowing Taha Aki to listen to them. Taha Aki saw this as a danger and ordered him to leave and never return to either the tribe or his spirit self. Utlapa left with anger and a thirst to prove himself and take his revenge.

Later in time, Utlapa spotted Taha Aki leave the tribe and leave his body in a cave. With no prior notice he went into the spirit world and took over Taha Aki's body killing his own to stop him from coming back. The moment Utlapa entered the spirit world Taha Aki knew something was wrong and returned to where he had left his body. He only found Utlapa's body with its throat slit.

Utlapa ruled for a long time in Taha Aki's body and forbid the other spirit warriors to shift into their spirit selves out of fear claiming he had had a vision of danger. Therefore his dreams of conquering neighbor tribes vanished, instead he demanded privileges; like taking a second and then a third wife when Taha Aki's own wife lived on.

Meanwhile, Taha Aki felt horrible being outside his body for so long. He asked a wolf to share his body, and the wolf obliged. Taha Aki and the wolf went to his tribe to try to convince them of he being the true leader of the tribe. When an elder of the tribe, Yut, disobeyed Utlapa's orders and left his body to talk to the wolf, Utlapa killed him. This made Taha Aki furious. This emotion is too much for the wolf and Taha Aki unknowingly transforms into a human while he had been sharing the body of a wolf. The spirit warriors recognized Taha Aki, realizing what had happened, and killed Utlapa.